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Suspected asylum seekers found in Daintree taken to Christmas Island, Minister's office says

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By Kristy Sexton-McGrath, Brendan Mounter and staff

A group of suspected asylum seekers found in far north Queensland have been taken to Christmas Island for processing, the Federal Government has confirmed.

A spokesperson for Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said the 17 suspected asylum seekers had been transferred to detention on Christmas Island and were being interviewed in detention.

The Gillard government excised the Australian mainland from the migration zone in 2013 in a bid to deter boat arrivals.

The ABC understands the latest group was on board a suspected illegal fishing boat, believed to be from Vietnam, that was abandoned on Sunday morning.

Earlier today, the State Emergency Service (SES) said it believed the last two people from the boat had been found hiding in the Daintree Rainforest.

ABC reporters at the scene said two men, thought to be the captain and first mate, had been taken into police custody.

The men were held on the Daintree River ferry by the operator until police arrived on Tuesday morning.

Witnesses said the men had not resisted arrest and were loaded quietly into a police vehicle shortly after 9:00am.

The boat is partially submerged in the water, about 200 metres off the beach.

There is debris from the boat strewn across the nearby beach, and parts of the normally white sand have been stained black from leaking diesel.

SES acting local area director Peter Rinaudo said Queensland police stood down SES members involved in the search for the group about 4:00pm or 5:00pm yesterday.

"The SES is no longer needed this morning," Mr Rinaudo said.

"At that time all the people they were aware of were located — I believe the two that were on the fishing boat [were the ones that were found on Sunday afternoon], but I couldn't confirm that.

"The Queensland police search and rescue mission coordinator told SES that everyone they believed they were looking for had been located and we weren't required.

"I suppose the hardest thing with this is trying to determine how many were on board."

Boat arrival a surveillance failure: Dutton

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said an investigation into how the boat made it into Australian waters was underway.

"I am surprised with the fact that this boat was able to come so far south — we know that there is good resources up on the Torres Strait," she said.

The Department of Home Affairs said it was the first "people smuggling vessel" to reach Australia in 1,400 days.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton said yesterday the boat's arrival was the result of a surveillance failure.

"I want to confirm for you today that Australia, we believe, has received the first vessel, the first people smuggling venture, in over 1,400 days," Mr Dutton said.

"Clearly there's been a failing when surveillance has not worked as it should in identifying this vessel or allowing this vessel to get as close to the coast as it has.

"But it's a reminder that the people smugglers have not gone out of business."

Mr Dutton said the suspected asylum seekers would be deported.

"The threat of people smugglers hasn't gone away and the arrival of this boat should be a very clear and timely message that people smugglers will put people onto boats, to take money from innocent, men women and children," he said.

"We have been very clear that we won't allow people who arrive illegally into our country to settle in this country. People will be deported from our country at the first available opportunity."

Two men found by local fishermen

Local resident Barry Preston was fishing with his mate Justin near the mouth of the Daintree River on Sunday afternoon when the pair were waved down by two men standing in mangroves.

Mr Preston treated the suspected asylum seekers to some Queensland hospitality before handing them into police.

"We got the blokes to pull in some crab pots for us and we showed them the sights and we had a bit of a banter — showed them a few crocs," he said.

"We thought, hang on what are we going to do with these blokes, so we drove up the river to our local boat ramp and called the cops on the way so they could meet us there," Mr Preston said.

"We got them to pull up the crab pots for us and they were going, 'Oh crab, crab'.

"So they knew what they were, but they spoke very little English so it was hard to communicate with them."

Mr Preston said they also showed the men a few crocodiles.

"They were quite surprised by the size of the crocs in the Daintree, because one 12 to 14-footer [3.7 to 4.3-metre crocodile] was on the bank and he slid in and they raised their eyebrows, like 'ooh, lucky we didn't enter the water'," he said.

"They probably wouldn't have made it through the night in those mangroves."

The two men they picked up are now among more than a dozen in police custody.

Australian Broadcasting Corporation: © ABC